My canine friend Toby meditating.

Reduce your stress by reducing your pets stress with a massage. When I was learning all of the different techniques of massage I did two things to practice at home. I made bread, the kneading of the dough was an exercise for my hands and taught me how to “see” with my eyes, and I massaged my dog, a lot!

When I say canine massage is a good thing I really mean it. My dog was very chilled and happy and even learned how to ask me for massage. A gentle nuzzle to my hand when we were sitting around relaxing told me she’d really appreciate a little rub. It’s been proven that our animals are stress reducers for us. Why not return the favor with a canine massage.

Like humans, there are many benefits of massage therapy for our dogs:

• Improves trust and bonding between dog and human
• Calms the nervous system, reduces anxiety/stress, eases traumas
• Builds self-confidence and sociability
• Increases overall sense of wellness
• Reduces discomfort from stiffness, inflammation and muscle spasm
• Improves muscle tone, spinal alignment, flexibility and range of motion
• Increases energy, concentration, alertness and endurance
• Promotes blood and lymph circulation, improves cardiovascular health
• Heightens immune system function

My current canine companion Toby (the handsome little guy meditating in the photo) is a rescue dog. I have always adopted rescues and am familiar with their idiosyncrasies; shyness, fear, lack of trust, anxiety, worry and suspicion to name a few. By giving him massage on a regular basis, he learned to let his defenses down, to trust me, to relax and enjoy this compassionate touch. In just a short time I have created another little massage junkie who now lives with me in harmony and is a happy go lucky little guy.